Sladkiye Putanitsa
by AkatsukiStalkers-RebelQueens
Summary: Sladkiye: Sweet. Putanitsa: Confusion. A name befitting the girl who no one could understand. Confusing them with her actions that seemed at first irritating, but steadily a knowledge dawned on them that she was truly kind, truly sweet, and that each thing she did was not for herself, but for them, the forgotten ones of society. Sweet Confusion, both innocent and not, all at once.
1. I

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

It was a tiresome day, as usual.

It was raining, as always.

Dark, drab, depressing, upsetting, cold, wet, and overall: normal.

The dreary city of Amegakure was small. Everyone knew almost everyone, save a few people, when it came to the day livers.

Of course, the sections that he associated with were not those friendly people. His kind of acquaintances were the ones in the shadows, selling various illegal things or doing said illegal things.

Misdemeanors daily, perhaps a felonies where needed- which were getting more common- and other dark deeds here and there; this was his typical track record. Sitting outside his apartment building and observing the rain from a seat under a tree on a wooden bench scrawled with sharpie, his mind followed the sad atmosphere and the next job tomorrow.

A task of shoplifting some things for use at home. Light stuff. Can't really afford to buy everything, and even then, he probably wouldn't buy them.

His senses picked up movement, aside from the rhythm of the rain that had been pattering everything and that of the wind that swayed the object; a rustle too irregular and rapid for affects of the weather.

When the pale, dull, flickering light that shun through the tree's wet leaves was blocked, he stopped looking casually to his sides and tipped his chin up instead.

His eyes grew wide, rubbing rain water from his face just to make sure he wasn't crazy. In the dark willow tree's branches, he watched as a girl clambered through the soaked leaves, before climbing into a soaked, water heavy hammock made from a soaked, wet green sheet, in nothing but a soaked, wet black tank top, soaked neon green combat boots filled with worn in holes or patches, and soaked, wet black boy shorts, with long, waist length, soaked pink hair.

"What the hell?"

The pinkette's head popped out of her makeshift cocoon. She pushed hair out of her face with thin, porcelain fingers, and looked down with inquisitive, friendly apple colored eyes. When he stared and said nothing else, her head tipped a bit, and she waved, flashing fingernails painted in an arrayal of rainbow colors each.

He only stared a bit longer.

The pinkette blinked, crawled out of her little sheet bed carrying a small burlap bag and a thick, bright purple-and-red lump, slowly climbing down a rope-like branch until she was hanging upside down a few inches above his head, her hair tickling his nose.

Leaning back to get it out of his face, he watched a grin spread across her face. She extended a single hand to him, holding out the bag she held. "It'll make you feel less gloomy, kay?" she said in a silky, smooth voice.

He didn't take it. He wasn't an idiot, and a lot of people wanted him dead. It would have been stupid. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "Who are you? It's only polite to introduce yourself before asking another, you know."

"Well hasn't your mother taught you not to talk to strangers?" he responded.

"I don't like thinking of people as strangers. Only potential friends."

"That's how lots of little girls like you get kidnapped."

"Who said I was a girl?"

He looked at her, brow raised. "What?"

"I never said I was a girl." She repeated, still holding out the bag, no intention to take back her offer. "Though, I am."

"… who are you?"

"Who are _you_? And take this thing already, my arm's getting tired."

At last, he stretched out a hand. Taking the bag suspiciously, he muttered, "They call me… Kisame."

She grinned at him. "A pleasure, Kisame-kun." Not another second hesitation, she released her branch, and dropped to her feet. "Gotta go, the night calls to me." She said cheerfully, pulling on that cloth bundle, which turned out to be a tie-died purple and red hoodie far too large for her.

As she raced down the sidewalk and faded into the rain out of visibility, he blinked. He carefully looked into the bag. "…um…"

A jar of cherries. The label was hand written with green sharpie the color of her eyes. 'Cherries contain Melatonin. Melatonin reduces insomnia, depression, and stress. Cheer up, sir!'

He didn't know if he should be amused by her gift, or disturbed that the label was aimed at him.

"She didn't even give me a name." he muttered, standing to go inside.


	2. Will

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

It was a dreary, rainy night, and the blonde was walking home after settling a weapons deal. He'd be getting a new shipment of his favorite explosives soon… the grin on his face was a bit creepy.

He ducked sharply as, suddenly, a boot flies past his head, where his face had been.

However, he was not fast enough to avoid the second one, which hit on-target, right to his face.

"Son of a bitch- who did that, un?!"

Whipping mud from his face, he glared up. A pink mass stood ahead of him, now bare foot, in a wet puddle, grinning her face off in a hideous, soaked hoodie.

She only smiled at his glare, and waved at him. "Hey, friend. Take… oh, 5 steps backwards."

"What?!" incredible! She hits him in the face with a shoe and then tells him what to do?

The pinkette smirked. "Oh, what is it? Too suspicious of me? What could I do if you take 5 steps back? Paranoid much?"

"You. Are an idiot." He growled, pointing threateningly. "With weird hair." He added pointedly.

"Take 5 steps back, and prove to me you aren't too dumb to listen to people." She smirked, pointing back. "Unless you just can't handle taking a request from a girl."

He rolled his eyes, taking a few steps back out of humor. "You realize, I'm going to murder you now, un."

The warning was coupled with reaching into his pocket and undoing a safety on a gun, which clicked loudly into the air over the steady thrum of the shower, which seemingly intensified immediately.

She only grinned. "That was only four steps, you know."

Rolling his eyes, he took one step back. As soon as his last foot picked up and touched back down, his hand moving to pull out his weapon, a bright flash of lightening flashed over head, and alongside the touch of his entire foot to the cement, a loud crash that wasn't typical to thunder.

As soon as the blinding of the light was gone, he stared in awe. A mere inch from his face, a car had crashed into a large oak tree beside the sidewalk.

The girl was grabbing both her shoes and was running into the woods beyond the tree line, gone too quickly for him to even take a second look.

A silent vow filled his head to head the advice of pink haired people on the streets.

Especially when he noticed no one had been driving the car, and a minute later realized one of his various enemies was trying to kill him yet again.

He went home, feeling a bit shaken.


	3. Always

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

He was sitting in the park with that raving blonde idiot, mid day, waiting for another couple members of their group to show up.

The moron wouldn't shut up about some pink haired kid he had seen last night that he almost shot but then ended up saving his life and running off into the woods.

Honestly, it was the dumbest story he had ever heard.

"Just shut _up_, brat." The red head sighed irritably.

The blonde paused, and then huffed. "You never listen, Danna, un!" he whined.

"Say something worth hearing and I might listen." He grumbled back.

"Bastard."

"Childish twerp."

"You guys are really mean to each other."

Both their heads turned, Deidara's much faster. They both met eyes with a pink haired girl- _the _pink haired girl- dressed in rainbow leggings, a purple skirt and the same, dry hoodie the blonde had seen before. Her hair was pulled back and tied with what looked like linked grass blades wrapped around and around, and she had a daisy crown from a patch a distance across the park. She was wearing the same shoes she had thrown at him, too.

"_You!_" Deidara gasped, lumping off the bench and pointing at her.

Sasori blinked, "You're kidding. She's real?"

The pinkette blinked. "You guys are waiting for someone, right?" she asked cheerfully.

Sasori was about to tell her to mind her own business, but Deidara beat him to speech, saying, "Yes! Yes, we are!"

Sasori went to glare at him, but the pinkette pulled something out her hoodie. One small, tiny, dark red burlap sack. "Hand this to the one who's going to be walking on the left side of the side walk, okay?"

She handed it to Deidara, who nodded quickly. The strange girl turned, walked up to the side walk, and stared walking away.

The second she was out of view, the pair they were waiting for appeared, walking on the sidewalk. When they spotted Sasori and Deidara, they made their way over.

"You're late." Sasori muttered absently, curious what the girl had left.

"Hidan got us lost, the jack ass." The taller growled.

Hidan snarled. "I told you, I was taking a detour to look for something! I swear, I left it in the alley when those damn cops chased be two days ago!"

"You mean this, yeah?" Deidara asked immediately, holding out the bag.

Hidan blinked in surprise, taking it quickly, he ripped it open, and poured the contents onto his hand. A small Jashin pendent like the one on his neck, just a bit smaller. He stared in awe. "WHERE DID YOU FIND IT?!"

"She… the girl… she found it." Deidara said, pointing to the way she had left. "She said to give it to you…"

"Girl? Like a short bitch with pink hair?" he blinked. "That weird girl who was there and fucking stole my gun and took off?" he cursed when Deidara nodded vigorously.

"The cops caught me and I didn't get arrested because I didn't have the gun, but I still need a new one…" he muttered to himself, rubbing the little pendant.


	4. Live

Sladkiye Putanitsa

…

It was raining.

Like always.

He liked it.

He loved the rain.

The rain was dark; it made the world look as it truly was.

A dark, cold, painful place.

The rain does not avoid the fragile.

Just like the world.

The rain could wear away the strongest of stones.

Just like the world.

People hated the rain.

Just like how Pein hated the world.

That was another good reason to like the rain, even if he hated the world.

The rain made his streets empty.

People ran off to find shelter.

Just like how they sheltered themselves from the darkness and coldness of the world just passed their door steps.

Pein could walk outside.

And there would be no one to look, to stare, to whisper.

But it was today, in the rain, that he thought he was going crazy.

Because there was a fast moving pink shape approaching him at light speed through the heavy rain.

And then it hit him.

Literally.

It through him, already soaked, into a large puddle, sending waves in all directions with a loud splash.

The pink thing fell on top of him with a soft _oomph_.

A little girl dressed in a solid black sweated and black pants, black face paint, black gloves, and black shoes. She looked like she had just committed a robbery.

But then, her pink hair would give her away at any chance.

The pinkette's green eyes opened, staring down at him. She smiled at him, got up, and held out a bag. A small, Peanut butter-jar sized, black bag.

Compelled, he took it. Then she was running down the side of the road again, racing down the sidewalk, fading out of view.

Pein heard rustling through the rain, and loud shouts. He stood and ducked into an ally way, then watched as a pair of people chased her through the rain, shouting curses, and sprayed all over their face, hair, and clothes with bright pink sparkles. Pein blinked, and looked into the bag.

A single spray can, filled with, when he tested it on the wall, sparkly pink spray paint the color of her hair.

Confused, he brushed it off, tucking it into a hidden pocket in his jacket to add to the collection of spray paint colors he had at home, wondering if he'd ever use pink.

He stopped besides a tall building. Looked at the pretty, neat scrawling, all over its brick front. '_Mr. Police, two murderers live here!'_

It was then he heard faint sirens. He laughed to himself, sat on the door steps, and when the cops hurried out of their 3 cars, the ginger pointed them in the way of the weird pink girl whom had sprayed two apparent murders in the face with sparkly pink paint.

Pein got home that night, to see his blue-haired sister sitting on the couch, watching a story on the news. He leaned on the back, grinning, as the reporter explained how they had found two men tied to a tree in the park, a mess sprayed in pink all over them, and that their identities were confirmed as murderous brothers from a city not far from Amegakure.

Konan looked up at him. "Where have you been- and why is there pink paint on your shirt?" she blinked, pointing at the screen. "Were you a part of that?!"

He looked at his black Tee, spotted smudged of pink all over it, but then smirked at her. "Just an innocent bystander who thinks his walks in the rain are always interesting."

He pulled out the can, sprayed Konan's grey tank top, and hurried up stairs while she shouted death threats.


	5. To

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

Kisame sat with his partner-in-crime, literally, Itachi, in the coffee shop. His black haired accomplice was on his phone, silent as usual.

Kisame took a sip from his coffee- black, no sugar, no cream- that he had gotten only a minute ago, when the front door was thrown open in a wide arc.

"HELLO, MY LITTLE MOON!"

Kisame looked over at a vaguely familiar voice, and there she was, one particularly weird midnight-rain-dwelling pink haired girl, wearing a neon green hoodie and bright red jeans, small red school bag on her back, her pretty long hair pulled back in a low hanging ponytail with a multitude of colorful hair clips and hideous pink converse full of warn patches over holes.

It had been little over a week since that weird girl handed him a jar of cherries, and the next morning he listened to Deidara's screaming about her saving his life, and Hidan's gun theft and pendant. The blonde was pretty hung up on her and looked around all the time for her.

This was the first time Kisame had seen her since his own encounter, and apparently Deidara had had no luck.

The blue man watched curiously as the pinkette skipped up brightly to the counter. The elderly lady at the register smiled. "Hello, little flower. The usual, yes?"

The pinkette cheered excitedly, "The usual would be lovely on this fine morning~!"

Kisame then watched in surprise as the older woman hiked up box after box of the muffins in their plastic containers, and then started pilling paper coffee trays on top.

The pinkette eyed it, snapped her fingers, "Neee, I need extra today, my lady-dearest!"

The woman looked concerned. "My dear, you have difficulty with this stack as it is…"

The rosette threw up her hands, "But the place is really full lately! We need LOTS! I'll carry it all!"

The woman smiled sweetly, and went into the back to drag out a couple more boxes of plastic muffin containers and coffees. "Is this enough, dear?"

"Yup yup!" she cheered, pulling out yet another of her many little burlap bags. "Here you go!" she called joyously, opening it to peer inside. "213.89!" she stated, and passed it off.

"I'll help you carry them." A man stood up from a booth close to the counter, stepping up to her side. Much to Kisame's surprise, it was a leader of a rival group of theirs; a red head from a gang called Jinchuiriki that went by Gaara.

Kisame watched as Sakura cheered and gave him a very bright thanks. The emotionless teenager just nodded at her, and he and the pinkette split up the cargo, half each, and started toward the door.

The pinkette notice Kisame at the last second, smiled at him, and then she was gone.

…

…

Kisame and Itachi left the café when they received text messages. Kisame hadn't noticed, but Itachi had.

The Uchiha looked around half way to their destination and muttered, "Who was handing out food?"

Kisame blinked, and looked to the shelter they were passing that was a little more lively than normal.

'Ame Orphanage' in big black letters painted over the brick wall of the 4-story-building, and he spotted the kids outside. Instead of the typical gloomy faces, anyone sitting outside for a rare dose of sun had smiles. In each one's hand, a big blueberry muffin and a paper cup of coffee.

Kisame blinked again. Had he stumbled on a true saint in this shadowy city, or just a stupid, friendly kid? "That girl spent more than 200 bucks on muffins for orphans." He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Itachi looked at him, confused, and they continued to their meeting in silence.


	6. Help

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

Tobi always liked the park. Even if Zetsu couldn't always come with him, and it felt lonely. Tobi liked the park even in the middle of the night, and no one else was there, and it felt extra lonely.

Tobi loved the park.

One night, while Tobi was swinging on his favorite swing- the one farthest from the tree, so that when he swung upwards, he could see the pretty night sky- Tobi saw a bit of pink in the big oak tree over the swings.

Tobi tried to swing harder, to see higher, when he saw the pink again. It was only a little bit of pink, but Tobi could see it; poking out of a weird looking shape.

Tobi jumped off his swing and hurried to the tree. Tobi had climbed it all the time. It was easy.

Tobi made his way up the limbs and branches steadily. When Tobi was only a little ways away, just above the same, he realized it was a hammock made out of a dark blue sheet, and tied in the wide fork of a branch. From above it, Tobi could see a pretty pink haired lady, curled up in a little ball, and in a black jacket and black soft pants.

Tobi tipped his head. Was pretty girl a bird? Was that why she slept in the tree?

Then Tobi noticed the pretty girl's eyes were open, and she was looking at him with pretty green eyes.

The pretty girl shuffled up right, sitting up, and looked at him with a tip of her head. "Whatcha doin, Mr. Pirate?"

Tobi turned red, realizing he had taken off his mask when no one was her at the park. Tobi went to put his hands over Tobi's face, but forgot he was in a tree. Tobi fell.

Tobi landed on pretty girl's hammock, and she grabbed him so he didn't fall off. Tobi covered his face again quickly.

"You okay, Mr. Pirate?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then whatcha doin? You hurt your face?"

"No, Tobi's face doesn't hurt."

"Then whatcha doin? Checking for a fever?"

"No, Tobi doesn't have a fever."

"Then whatcha doin? Shieldin' your face from the cold?"

"No, Tobi's face isn't cold."

"Then whatcha doin? Hiding your face?"

"Yup."

"Oh. Okay. Why ya doin that, Tobi?"

"How does pretty bird know Tobi's name?"

"'cause Tobi talks in a cool way, so I know his name."

"Oh, okay."

"So, why ya hiding your face, Tobi?"

Tobi peeked through his fingers. "Cause Tobi's face isn't normal."

The pretty lady's head tipped to the side. "So?"

"So… Tobi's hiding his face."

"Tobi hides his face, cause it's not normal?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But my hairs pink, so why don't I hide it?"

"Cause the pink hair is pretty. Tobi's face isn't."

The pretty lady gave Tobi a glomp, pinning him on her hammock, and she pried away his hands easily.

Tobi was pretty strong… Pretty lady must be _really_ strong to be able to do that.

She looked at his face. "Well, 'pretty bird' thinks Tobi's face looks fine."

Tobi blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"MMMM-HMMMM!" she cheered. "Almost as pretty as 'pretty bird's' hair."

Tobi touched his face gingerly, "No way! But pretty bird's hair is so pretty! Tobi doesn't believe pretty bird, she lying."

The pink haired girl smiled. "Pretty bird likes all things! All things are pretty! And Tobi's face is unusual, and pretty bird likes unusual things best!"

Tobi looked uncertain, so pretty bird leaned down and touched Tobi's swirly-like, marred skin on Tobi's right half that surrounded Tobi's only red eye. Tobi blushed a lot.

"Pretty bird thinks Tobi's face is just right how it is." She said with a warm smile, "Because there will never be a face just like Tobi's. That makes Tobi a Rare, priceless person!"

Tobi squirmed, and pretty girl let him sit up. Tobi felt embarrassed, so Tobi changed the topic. "Why is pretty bird in the tree?"

The pink haired lady smiled, "Because little birds live in trees, Tobi, didn't you know that?"

Tobi smiled, "So why is little bird a little bird?"

The pinkette pointed downward, "'Cause, Tobi-kun, sleeping on the ground is dangerous!"

Tobi blinked, "So why is pretty girl sleeping in Tobi's favorite park?"

Sakura hummed, didn't answer, and pointed instead at the sidewalk. "Pretty bird sees Tobi's friend is looking for him."

Tobi looked up, surprise when he spotted Zetsu, looking around the park. Tobi jumped off the hammock out of the tree, and hurried to the swings, grabbing his mask. Zetsu spotted him as Tobi was fixing it over his face, and came over to Tobi.

"Tobi, I apologize, we were very late getting here. **Whatever, we can show up when we choose.** Don't be mean to Tobi; you know he hates to be alone. **Whatever.**"

Tobi smiled, "It's okay, Tobi made a new friend! Pretty bird played with Tobi!" he said, pointing up to the tree. Both Tobi and Zetsu looked up, but the hammock was gone.

Tobi looked around, and spotted her walking off into the forests running alongside the playground area. "PRETTY BIRDY! ARE YOU LEAVING ALREADY?"

The pink haired girl turned, and waved happily. "Bye-bye, Mr. Pirate! Birdy has to go find a new nest!"

"BYEE!"

Zetsu looked at her with wide eyes. "Pink hair? Isn't that the girl Deidara looks for all the time when he goes out? And the girl who helped the cops catch those guys that Pein ran into?"

Tobi gasped, "Pretty Birdy is Deidara-Sempai's magical girl?"


	7. Anyone

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

The Russian Stereotype is a vodka-drinking, humorless, mean, chain-smoking, stone-faced, cruel, black haired, fur-wearing, broad faced person.

Which is almost exactly what the man who runs Amegakure's most well known Orphanage looks like, and acts like.

Kakuzu had spoken with him maybe twice in his life, and could remember his strong accent, and the face he was far better speaking his language then English.

Which is why, when the little pink haired girl Kakuzu had seen leaning the park on the day she returned Hidan's pendant- whom apparently was a very strange girl that the silver Zealot, Pein, Kisame, Deidara, and last night, Tobi, had all met. Which is why, when he saw that little pink haired girl standing with that man in the grocery store, exchanging a flow of words in _Russian_, pure, fluent _Russian_, he was very shocked. Not once in Deidara and Tobi's rather lengthy descriptions of the pretty magic girl had they mentioned she had a Russian accent or anything that might mean the typical Russian stereotype. And the pinkette didn't even have an English accent when speak in Russian.

The pinkette ended up skipping away, smiling.

Kakuzu approached the man who owned the orphanage. "Do you know her?" he asked him.

The man took a minute to understand the question, and went "Bach! Of yes! Definitely!"

"Her name?" Kakuzu asked. Deidara had been complaining for the last week angrily that he wanted to at least know her name. Since meeting her, Tobi also realized he hadn't caught her name, and then Hidan, and now all three were beyond irritating. He might finally be able to shut them up.

The Russian man scoffed, shrugging. "I neve' known. Only talk brief. Call her 'Sladkiye.' 'Sladkiye Putanitsa!'" he shrugged again, "she never corrected. So I use dat. she come to country on some flight as me from mother Russia. Used dat name for 2 year!"

Kakuzu dipped his head. "Thank you." _Good enough for me. It'll get those three brats off my back_.

He still couldn't believe such a little, pretty, pink haired girl was Russian…

Also, what does Sladkiye Putanitsa mean?

"Sweet Confusion." Itachi stated when Kakuzu offhandedly asked him, more wondering than expecting an answer, the next day at a meeting. The Uchiha looked up from a paper he was reading, "Why?"

"Firstly, why do you know Russian?" Kakuzu asked, skeptically.

"Kisame is from Russia." Itachi stated smoothly, looking back at the paper. "He used to say words that I did not understand. So I took Russian in high school."

"Kisame is from Russia?" Kakuzu blinked.

"Lived in the city of Moscow, the 23th highest criminally dangerous city in the world, until he was 11." Itachi said simply.

"You know a lot about your partner." Kakuzu pointed out, surprised. He hadn't pegged Kisame the open-book type.

"He writes poetry in a notebook." Itachi said, setting down the paper and picking up a different one. "I read them. He's very good."

"Kisame. Russian. Poetry." Kakuzu mused. "_Weird._"

Itachi shrugged. "So, why? What use do you have for twp Russian words?" Itachi set down the paper. "It's about that pinkette? Right?"

"How'd you guess?" Kakuzu blinked.

"I heard you mention those words to Deidara earlier. And the terrorist kid is only interested in her lately, and his art." Itachi shrugged. "So, it's about her?"

Kakuzu nodded. "I saw her speaking Russian to the old orphanage man, she's fluent as hell. He says he calls her by Sladkiye Putanitsa, and she's never corrected."

Itachi nodded. "She's born Russian, so I'm not surprised he's fluent."

"How the hell did you find out?" Kakuzu demanded, confused.

"Shortly after Kisame started mentioning her in his poetry a few days ago after an interesting trip to a coffee store, I started looking around myself." Itachi stated. "She was born and flew in from Norilsk, the 18th most criminally dangerous place on earth, a year and a half ago. I also know she's 17, and that she volunteers at the orphanage that Mr. Tunguska owns, and the Amegakure Hospital, and the Amegakure Police department. I couldn't find anyone who knows her actual name, but it seems Sladkiye is the most popular."

Kakuzu scoffed. "Huh. What an enigma."

"Indeed."

"Think you can sneak me some of Kisame's _Poetry_?" Kakuzu snorted.

"Nope." That said, Itachi gathered all his papers, and left to go home.


	8. That I

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

**Neko: Icarus © Bastille **

…

It was very quiet at first.

Kisame sat on his usual bench, cup in hand. It looked better when he didn't drink straight from a bottle, so he used the cup outside.

He didn't like drinking in his room, though he didn't have a reason. Normally, he'd go to the bar Hidan and Kakuzu ran, but he wanted some fresh air for once. And lately, Kakuzu had been suppressing a laugh when Kisame went by, not that the blue man knew why.

He looked to his left, the sun long down, into the bag full of empty beer bottles.

Lots of people called him an alcoholic. Not that he cared, most of the people who said that within his hearing range were the people who whispered about him, not aware he had great hearing and could hear every word.

But, he didn't really consider himself an alcoholic until she came by that early night. Even though he was often shitfaced, and sometimes even _Hidan_ tried to get him to stop drinking at the bar, though fruitless.

He never put any thought to it until, that night, starting off quiet; a familiar head of pink hair wearing a green T-shirt, open horrendous tie-dyed blue-orange jacket, rainbow colored converse and florescent pink pants was walking by, singing on a light, melodic tone.

"'Look who's digging their own grave,' That is what they all say. 'You'll drink yourself to death.'"

She marched up the side walk, along the pathway. "Look who makes their own bed, Lies right down within it." she stops on the sidewalk just in front of him, looking across the road like he wasn't sitting there, watching her. "And now, what will you have left?"

She looks around, and then 'sees' him, scold on her face. "Out on the front doorstep, drinking from a paper cup." She shook her head, still singing, "You know you won't remember this."

"Living beyond your years, acting out all their fears, do you feel it in your chest?" she states in her sing-song tone, tipping her head with the question.

She starts walking up the grass to his bench, "Your hands, protect the flames." She stops in front of him, pointing at the full cup. "From the wild winds around you."

She turns around, walking around his bench and looking around him, making circles and singing with bearing green eyes, "Icarus is flying too close to the sun. And Icarus's life, it has only just begun. It's just begun." She taps his drink as she passes on that last word, still staring at him with those unnerving eyes of hers.

She's stopped in front of him, and those apple colored eyes fill with concern, "Standing on the cliff face, highest fall you'll ever grace, it scares me half to death…"

She starts circling him again, "Look out to the future, but it tells you nothing. So just take another breath."

She stops at his bag, touching it lightly with a disappointed look at the loud clinking sounds, counting up the bottles. "Your hands protect the flames, from the wild winds around you."

She looks at him once, and then starts walking away, all the while, singing, "Icarus is flying too close to the sun. And Icarus's life, it has only just begun."

She looks back over her shoulder, shaking her head, watching with those concerned eyes that stare just a little too close. "This is how it feels to take a fall; because Icarus is flying towards an early grave."

Then she was out of view, turning the curb.

Kisame poured out his cup and went inside.


	9. Ever

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

Sasori was heading out to the normal deal that morning, ready to scare straight some kid who was spreading word about the Akatsuki.

He was heading into an alley way, there was a flash of pink running right at him from across the street that had him jumping. He didn't move quickly enough when she jumped on him, knocking the red head off his feet and onto the ground in the alley.

"Hi there!" she greeted, grinning down, in her purple hoodied and neon yellow jeans glory, a rainbow of hairclips in her hair.

He went to shove her off, but was a bit surprised when she pinned his arms down, hard, on the ground. She just continued to smile.

He tried to break her grip.

No avail.

"Get off." he demanded.

"Nope." She said quite cheekily. "Can't do that."

"Little girl, get off." her ordered again, glaring.

"Hey, you know what? My favorite color is blue. What's yours?"

"Get off."

"My favorite time is the night, what about you?"

"Get off."

"I like my coffee cold, what do you think?"

"Get off."

"Oh, what's your favorite animal? I like cats!"

"Get off."

"What about your favorite holiday? November 19th."

"That's not even a holiday, now _get off_."

"Well then, what about your favorite season? I like… um… spring!"

"I don't care! Get off!"

"Well then, what's your favorite number? I like number 9!"

"My favorite number is 7! Not GET OFF ME!"

"Okay." And she stood up, turned around, and skipped out of the alley.

Sasori sat up, ruffled. "What the _hell_?"

He stood up, dusting himself off, but watched as a cop car drove by. Just in the nick of the moment, he spotted the face of the kid he was supposed to be going to catch in the slow cruise of the vehicle. The man had slowed to wave at the pinkette, standing on the sidewalk and waving brightly.

When the man sped away, Sakura waved to Sasori. "Bye!"

And she ran off.

Sasori gapped. Had he shown up on time- like he always does- that cop would have found him there beating that kids face in.

Sasori shook his head. He recalled Deidara telling him, 'from now on, I'm always going to do what pink haired girls tell me to out on the streets'.

That made sense, now.

"So, that was 'Sladkiye', huh?" Sasori muttered, scratching his head, heading home. Then he noticed his gun was missing, just like Hidan's had gone after a meeting with her.

"Damn it."

Little did he know, the police had received a warning from the very man whom Sasori had been going to beat, and there were police just around the corner, whom searched-checked him when they spotted him as he passed their department building.

Sasori mentally cursed, _pink haired people are smart. Pink haired people are to be taken into account at all times. Pink haired people know what's best. Pink haired people have really good foresight on the future. Listen to pink haired people_. Was all he could think when the police men apologized and sent him on his way home when they never found a weapon on him.

Always trust pink haired maniacs.


	10. see

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

It had been a long week since Deidara had last seen her.

He spotted her by pure chance at the flea market, and instantly lost track of the target he was going to pickpocket for some cash and immediately zoned in on the pink haired girl walking away from him.

He hurried through a crowd of people, bursting out from them to see her standing, now, in front of a silver haired man's stall, selling a variety of weapons; lining one wall of his mini store, a shelf of trashy dirty novels, just like the orange book said silver haired man snapped closed upon noticing the pinkette.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in." the man, wearing a white mask over his face, teased, leaning onto his front table. "Didn't know you came to places like this; watch out, lots of things get stolen around here."

The pinkette smiled bright, a weird sigh in her simply lilac dress and black sneakers for being in a flea market. "Nah, Kakashi-kun, I've got a friend following me around; he'd stop bad guys, right, Deidara-kun?"

Deidara jumped, wondering when she had spotted him. The silver haired man, one scared eye closed, looked in the blonde's direction. "Well, look at that. You always make the strangest company."

Deidara approached the table, no sense standing so far back now. Instead, he looked down at her, one hand on his waist. "What are you doing in a place like this, Slakie?"

The silver man's brow arched at the name, and the pinkette looked up at him in surprise. Then she smiled brightly, "It's Sladkiye, Deidara-kun. Sladkiye, meaning sweet."

Deidara nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, I've only heard it spoken once."

Sakura giggled. "You don't have a voice fit for Russian, Deidara-kun."

Deidara scoffed, "You're one to talk, yeah."

The pinkette turned back to the stall owner, "Ne, Kakashi, did you get my book for me?"

Kakashi made an 'ah' sound, turning away to a box. Deidara almost feared she was buying some of his porn, but when the 'Kakashi' guy turned around, they were certainly not the dirty trash on the shelves. "On the house." He nodded, smiling, "now shoo. That little blonde criminal friend of yours is scaring away my customers."

Sakura laughed, grabbed Deidara's arm, and they started walking. "what'd ya get, un?" Deidara asked, leaning over to look.

The tittles were in different languages.

Sakura smiled, "They're all books about how to treat depression." She said lightly. "and how to get help. This one's in Spanish. This one's in English. This one's in Russian. This one's in French. This one's in Japanese and Chinese, from the front and back the halves are the different languages. This one's in Swedish. This one is in all 6 of the main African languages. This one is in Indian. This one is Korean, and this last one is in German."

Deidara looked at the tall stack. He 'tsked' and took half the load from her. She just smiled. "Why do you have so many languages? You're not _that_ lingual, are you, un?" he asked skeptically.

"No." she said lightly. "I'm only Trilingual. Russian is my first language, and I grew up with English around me, too. I learned Spanish. I'm also fluent if sign language and brail, if you count that?"

Deidara smirked, "Nice. I'm from France, you know." He added, surprising himself in the fact he had said that out loud. "English is my first, but I'm good at French, un. I tried sign language once, but I don't have the memory for it."

"What if I taught you?" the pinkette smiled brightly. "I've taught 49 people since I came to this city all the basics. You can be my big 50 miles!"

Deidara smirked, "sure, you can try. But I've got a hard head, un. It'll be hard to pound in any information."

"Good thing I can hit pretty hard." She smiled. "'Sides, I knew you were hard headed. After all, it was pretty hard to make you back up. I was worried you'd get hit."

"Forehead!" a voice called, and a platinum blonde ran up with a straight blue haired girl, both panting. "we've been looking for you EVERYWHERE! Come on, Shikamaru's getting- Deidara?!"

"Ino?!" the blonde gawked as the pinkette took back the books he had carried.

The pink girl smiled at Deidara widely, "Oh, yeah, by the way, I got your name from your sister."

"You two hang out?!" Ino cried, but then stopped herself, looking at her phone. "oh, shit- forehead, we promised Mr. Tunguska that we'd be there to present the books in 10 minutes! We have to go!"

"Never fear! The pink haired hero is never late delivering her gifts!" The pinkette cried out and started storming away, followed by Ino.

The purple haired girl hesitated, dipping her head. "I-I'm sorry, we're in a hurry. Be sure we have good reason, sh-she recently promised to bring the new books to story time today!" and the third girl hurried after her friends.

Deidara gawked a bit. _She buys books in languages for orphanages? Is she a saint? An angel?_

He just shook his head, heading home with a light feeling from getting to actually have a conversation at last with her, however short.


	11. in

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

Zetsu was a bit surprised when she approached him, on this day, on the day he was going to make his last.

Everyone seemed to have an encounter with her in their group, now, but it was still a surprise that such a small little girl was coming toward the monstrous Zetsu like she had known him all her life. Especially today, on this particular day.

Especially when she grabbed his black colored hand, standing on the sidewalks with him, ignoring the hundred or so people on the roads of the town who had, firstly, been staring and whispering at Zetsu, but now stared and whispered at both of them.

He kind of just stared at her with two glowing yellow eyes, wondering if she suffered from some sort of mental disease that disables fear. Or maybe she was just stupid?

That was the extent of their encounter, on today, the one day, the day he would… the day he would…

Zetsu's first meeting with the weird little girl plagued upon Akatsuki, in which she held his hand, and that was it. Zetsu continued his walk almost like she wasn't there (excluding the occasional stares of confusion and bewilderment on why she was hold in his hand, of course), and she just followed him around like a puppy, lacing her fingers into his more and more the further on they walked.

At one point Zetsu walked past Sasori and Deidara, and the artist duo had looked very surprised. Zetsu had shrugged, and the pinkette (Sladkiye, if what he had overheard Itachi and Kakuzu saying, was her name) had spotted the other two Akatsuki and waved brightly. Deidara waved back with a smirk despite bewildered Sasori.

When Zetsu stopped at last at his target location, a store, she still held his hand. She stayed at his side through the whole store, only letting go when he lifted anything heavy into a shopping cart, and she didn't ever say anything. She did hum, occasionally. She didn't say anything, though; no matter how many times Zetsu asked her why she was doing this weird stuff. No matter how many times he whispered that she needed to _leave_, because it was supposed to happen _today_. Today was the day.

She held his hand, helped him carry some of the shopping bags while she did, and didn't separate until Zetsu stopped in front of his apartment building; the entire walk, she ignored his pleads to just go away. When they stopped in front of his building, she let go.

She set down her bags, and offered him her hand. Confused by the mannerisms she was offering, he shook her hand, when she let go, there was a folded piece of paper resting in his palm.

She left before he could say a word. He gathered all the bags and went into his apartment, sat on his couch, and unfolded the paper.

_Hey there little flower,  
>Sitting on the edge of the cliff,<br>it is a troublesome morning and I see it'll be a troublesome afternoon,  
>so while the sun is out and it isn't raining in a dreary town,<br>let us spend a troublesome day unrepeated._

_There's nothing better than to have a helping hand, nothing better to know then there is someone at your side, so take a step away from the cliff and come stand with me.  
>I'll even hold your hand.<em>

Something twinged in his heart.

Zetsu hadn't told anyone of tonight's big event. How had she known? He knew she knew, even if she didn't say it directly in this little note. She knew.

Today, Zetsu's last day, the day it would end, the looks and the whispers, the final day and the one he would know before pulling the trigger and just getting out of it all.

How had she known?

_How did she know, damn it?_

_**How?! It doesn't make any sense?!**_

Zetsu decided to move the date. Just long enough that he could figure out why.

He would survive long enough to ask her just how she knew, and _then_ it would be the day.

But mentally he recognized she had won. He wasn't going to die tonight, and that had been her goal. She had won.

Tomorrow morning she was at his door holding a pair of black and white roses, and she walked with him, hand and hand.

Didn't answer his questions, didn't do anything but hum. It would be a long time before he would get his answers, and likewise, a long time until the new final day came.

But he found he was content to walk around and taking the long way, holding her hand, listening to her light hearted humming, every morning, as she walked with him to Tobi's house, where she would disappear and Zetsu would be back to the dreary world of working for the Akatsuki.

But in the mornings, he could hold her hand, and it was something to look forward to.


	12. need,

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

He spent every Friday the same way. After work- he was a mortician and a funeral director- he would check in with Pein- either he'd be given a task for some cash, or there would be nothing with enough money for his tastes and he'd go out to get any cash he could in the town.

That was the routine.

It had been two weeks since she had had anything to do with him, back when he had found out she and Kisame were both Russian- still a bit of a surprise- and he hadn't expected or even thought about running into her.

If he _had_, he would have been careful to avoid her. This Sladkiye girl had a habit of interfering. Particularly, as he knew, with the Akatsuki. Tobi said he saw Zetsu and the pinkette out his window, Deidara looked forward to seeing her all the time, there was a suspicious police report involving Pein, pink spray paint and two murderers, and she had the habit of taking weapons from Sasori and Hidan nowadays.

Sladkiye Putanitsa was the most interesting thing out there in the city these days, and Kakuzu wished he had remembered her and taken care not to run into her.

Instead he had spotted her in the crowd, dressed in her always bright, bright colored appearance- with her pink hair, neon green sundress, bright orange and yellow stripped knee-high leggings and rainbow converse, and a pastel-rainbow headband.

He knew she lived out on the streets or something, from multiple accounts on Kisame and Tobi's part that she liked to sleep around outside, so the idea of pick pocketing her came but quickly passed- she must be flat broke anyway.

Instead, since it was raining particularly hard and the normal crowd was nowhere in sight here in the typically bustling city, Kakuzu had found he was curious just where she was going in such a hustle.

Hopefully meeting up with some people who'd have a little more cash on them.

She did seem to favor interesting crowds over normal ones, maybe she knew some sort of rich billionaire? Who knows?

And, apparently, Kakuzu guessed right. Sladkiye ran straight into a coffee shop, and when he followed her inside, he noticed the pinkette had stopped, panting, beside a female version of a more platinum-haired Deidara.

That was _Ino Yamanaka_, a particularly wealthy heiress to the astoundingly rich Yamanaka Corporation. She was probably the richest teenager in this part of the world, certainly one of the richest in the city. The blondes' bodyguards didn't even glance at Sladkiye; she was a regular, it seemed, in Ino's company.

Kakuzu was a little disappointed, though. That was Deidara's sister; she knew Kakuzu, and Deidara did practice with her a lot so she was a very cautious and trained girl. She'd see the stitched man coming and would know instantly what he was up to. Deidara made sure of that.

The heiress hugged the pinkette with a wide grin, and when the other person at the blonde's table stood, too, Kakuzu almost did another double take.

That was Hyuuga Hinata, yet another wealthy heiress, and she _was_ the richest in the city. She and her cousin, Neji. Now that was worthy pick pocketing! Hurray for Sladkiye!

While the two heiresses giggled and hugged, Kakuzu noticed out of the corner of his eye that a particular large blue _poetry writer_ (insert Kakuzu's internal laughter) and his teammate.

Looking around, Kakuzu noticed that this was Kisame and Itachi's usual restaurant, half way between Itachi's law building from Ame University, and Kisame's apartment complex on either side of the little shop.

Itachi- engrossed in a textbook- and Kisame, writing something out in a book- (insert Kakuzu's mental snicker at the thought that he might have been writing his _poetry_)- both looked up at the increase of noise from the trio of girls giggling.

The three girls went to the counter, Sladkiye ordered 'the usual plus the extra in blueberry nut' from someone she called 'little moon' who was the store owner, a short Indian elderly woman, whom Kakuzu had seen before working the register when he came to speak with the pair of Akatsuki who came here almost every day.

The pinkette, her two female friends, and the four large body guards- two for each heiress, it seemed- split up the cargo of a pair of muffin trays and two trays of coffees each, and headed for the door.

Sakura waved to Itachi and Kisame as she passed, Itachi nodding back with a faint smirk and Kisame lifting his hand a bit in a gesture of his own. As she led the way to the door, though, she spotted Kakuzu.

"Nee, Kakuzu-kun, hi!" she shifted the weight in her arms to wave at him, too, "I just saw Hidan-kun! He said he's mad at you!" she teased, opening the door with her shoulder. "Something about you being late!"

Kakuzu groaned and looked at a watch. He had followed this girl threw the city so long; he was late to the meeting with his stupid partner, Deidara, and Sasori.

Now that he was late, all three would be on his case. Insert irritation to the max.

Sakura smiled, passing him a muffin. "Sorry, Kakuzu-kun, hopefully Sasori-nee will understand why you were late? It's a shame you didn't have the time to do your usual routine, though." Then she disappeared with wealthy heiresses in tow.

Kakuzu went out into the rain, grumbling, banana muffin in hand, wishing he hadn't even seen that pink haired girl, now suspicious she had lead him around on the streets just to make sure there wouldn't be any time to pickpocket anyone.

But that would be crazy, right…?

Well, good thing he didn't doubt that she was crazy.

He also wondered why she handed him a banana muffin when she had gotten all the others in blueberry nut.

Good thing, too, since Kakuzu was allergic to nuts but liked banana muffins best.

He froze. "Damn it, she definitely knew I was following her."

No way had she just seen him at the door. She had known. She did all of that on purpose.

"I hate pink." He muttered, storming down the road to the meeting full of now irritated Akatsuki waiting to chew off his head.


	13. in pain,

**Sladkiye Putanitsa**

…

**CHRISTMAS SPECIAL YAY**

…

After maybe sitting there forty two hours, almost two days, in that dreary grey cell with Clyde and Thomas- two total nut jobs with long tail of bank robberies 'back in their day'- it was getting a bit irritating.

Of course, there was no way tightwad Kakuzu would spend Akatsuki funds on the bail to get Hidan out of this terrible cell. So sitting here for the next 74 hours until his 5 days was up was an obvious no-getting-out-of.

Unless someone miraculously payed the damn bail.

Not likely.

And so Hidan sat on the stupid bench ignoring the two crazed idiots in the same cell, watching through the old-time-y metal bars as the damn police officers went about.

Fantasies about one certain female guard weren't uncommon, mind you.

But it was getting a bit old after the last 42 hours.

"Kurinai-sensei, its Monday! I get to help out!"

The cheerful voice sounded as the door to the outside world full of rain was thrown open, and a dripping wet pink haired maniac stepped in. her blue hoodie was dark and thoroughly soaked as she peeled it off, in a wet black tee-shirt, red skirt, and pastel purple leggings with hideous yellow knee-high boots.

"Flower-chan, you volunteer here on Christmas Eve?" the woman guard looked shocked as she stepped up from her chair and over to the pinkette, taking the girl's jacket and moving it over a radiator to dry.

"Only till noon, then I have to go to the hospital. I've got a very important friend to meet up there. And then tonight, a very special thing to do, oh yes! And the usual muffins and coffee, you know, and on top of all that I just finished wrapping all morning down at the Ame Shelter!"

"You went to the gift wrapping for the Homeless thing they were doing? That doesn't surprise me." Kurinai laughed.

The pinkette skipped in her steps as she grabbed a broom. "I got to wrap up a really nice looking bag full of warm, waterproof clothes that a friend of mine, Deidara-nee and his sister Ino donated along with lots of other stuff, and got to deliver it to Haku-kun who has the curb with Zabuza in the alleyway on my way here today. It was so nice, Haku-kun was so happy." She cheered.

Kurinai smiled, ruffling the girl's long pink hair. "I swear you are a saint."

Hidan listened, grateful for the first distraction in two days, as the Pinkette and the Kurinai girl- and then Asuma, another officer- discussed the mystical ways of the pinkette.

That 'Petal' as they called her, the same girl who stole his gun but given back his pendant- was a real goody-two-shoes in all ways. For the next two hours, all she talked about was the gift wrapping for the homeless thing, and the shipment coming for the mall's Toys-R-Us store that would be full of new toys that she would buy and give to the Ame Orphanage alongside muffins and coffee.

When her two hours were up at the police station as a volunteer, the pinkette skipped up to the cell doors. "Nee, Hidan-kun, let's go!"

Hidan was really surprised- so many questions came to mind. Like how she knew his name, how she knew he was there when he had been almost entirely silent since she got there (intrigued by her stories), and what she meant.

Asuma came up behind her and unlocked the door to the cell. "We're letting you out early, on the condition that she says you'll help her out with her to-do-list. You going with her?"

"Fuck yeah; get me the hell out of here!"

…

…

…

The pinkette stopped at a side vendor and bought a big bouquet of white, green, red, and yellow lilies with sprigs of red-berry holly, and had Hidan pick out a set of a flower she called a 'White Iris'.

The whole way to the hospital, Hidan listened to her telling him all about 'flower language', and how flowers and colors had meanings. The flowers they had chosen meant special things, he learned, a bit surprised. Her lilies that were white meant get well soon, the green ones meant rejuvenation, the red meant 'have courage', and the yellow meant friendship, and the holly meant 'be happy', all looking very Christmas-y. She also told him the flowers he had picked out meant hope and expectation for the future.

She was full of cool things, it seemed.

Even for a goody two shoes.

The woman at the front counter smiled widely upon seeing the pinkette, once again in her soaked wet jacket after walking the light rainy streets, though her face darkened a tad to see Hidan, who had come to the hospital _many_ times.

Sakura smiled and waved at every doctor and patient she passed, and much to Hidan's curiosity they all seemed to know her. A nurse in the elevator had quick chit-chat with the pinkette and how she should really take a break from the volunteer work.

She really was a hard-working goody-goody.

Hidan also noticed that the woman, by the name Shizune, called the pinkette by the name 'Rosa'. Hidan interrupted once to ask why, inquiring that he thought her name was the 'Sladkiye' that Deidara blathered about all the damn time.

Shizune, who looked a tad embarrassed, said she figured she liked the name Rosa since it meant 'Pink' in Italian, her mother's first language. Sakura just smiled and didn't answer when they asked what her real name was, since the door had opened and she skipped out, leaving behind Shizune with Hidan following after her.

When at last Sakura threw open a door into a room, the pinkette cheered brightly, "Hello, my dear!"

Hidan followed her in, and much to his double-take the one in the bed was Pein, Konan sitting at his side. Both of the two seemed equally surprised to see the pinkette, and furthermore, Hidan.

"Don't be so surprised, Pein-chan, it was in the news paper! 'Mysterious gang leader found unconscious on Hospital doorstep!'"

"Oh god, it was you."

Hidan turned around and there was Kakuzu, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed, standing in the doorway behind them. "You brought Leader-san to the hospital, didn't you?"

The pinkette laughed as she edged Hidan forward toward his leader's bedside, and handed her own bouquet to the ginger man, who held in thorough shock. Hidan put his on the nightstand, crossing his arms to look at the pinkette. "It was so fucking totally you, damn it! Wasn't it?!"

She shrugged, spinning lightly on her heal. She handed a pretty white rose she must have gotten from the side shop when Hidan wasn't looking to Konan, smiling widely. "Like I said, Hidan-kun, my time goes so fast and I'm always so busy, I can't keep track of which person I said hi to and which person I picked up off the side of the road after he got jumped in an alleyway by a group of gangbangers who beat him up. I mean, who could keep track of it all?"

The pinkette the proceeded to tuck some bright red holly berries into the front pocket of Kakuzu's mortician-man suit's black blazer with a small black rose. "It's such a busy day after all, its Christmas-eve you know. So much to do, I can't possibly remember what might have happened at 3:41am. So much to do."

She handed Hidan a yellow Lilly, and remembered her little tail that it meant friendship. "Speaking of time, I've got to get going, you know. A shipment of new toys for the Orphanage to intercept and purchase in exactly 56 minutes at the Toys-R-Us. Pein, you're being discharged in 30 minutes I heard from Shizune-chan, so I hope you have a splendid Christmas!"

The pinkette skipped out the door passed Kakuzu and waved all the way down the hall into open doors before disappearing into an elevator.

"She's crazy as the last time I saw her." Pein shook his head. "Very well scheduled, though."

"She's bat-shit and great at being fucking confusing." Hidan muttered. He crossed his arms. "She's totally flat broke; she spent the last of her cash on those fucking flowers. How is she going to buy fucking toys for orphans?" Hidan turned to Kakuzu. "Thanks for fucking bailing me out, speaking of money."

"Shut up. Next time don't get caught purse snatching, moron. I'm not paying $500 to bail _you_ out."

"Give me 500 bucks, dickwad." Hidan demanded, "I'm gunna follow her."

"What?" Kakuzu arched a brow.

Hidan scoffed. "She's flat broke and trying to buy toys for little kids. You don't want to bail me out? Fucking fine. Give me the cash, stitch face, and I'll use it on her instead."

"I like that idea." Konan mused to herself; twirling the white rose she had been given.

Pein nodded agreement, and Kakuzu scoffed in irritation, pulling out the wallet on the chain from his pocket with a glance at the festive little pocket decoration. He handed some folded bills to Hidan, and pointed dangerously at him. "Waste money and I'll kick your ass. Just like for bail, you'll pay me back later or I'll skin you."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say scarecrow."

…

…

…

The pinkette seemed to have run into Zetsu on the side of the road with Tobi just outside the mall when Hidan had caught up with her. A part of Hidan wondered if that was as much of a coincidence as it seemed. Things with her couldn't possible that much of a coincidence.

Hidan Caught up just as she was laughing and patting Tobi's head, then she took Zetsu's hand and looked to Hidan, as if she had already known he was on her tail and had been expecting him.

Fuck her and her goody-goody-ness.

She smiled widely. "Hidan-kun, are you coming to the toy store too? Tobi-kun and Zetsu-kun were headed there, too."

So, so no way it could be a fucking coincidence.

He just nodded, said "Yeah, I'm coming too, bitch, so what?" And she smiled at him brightly, leading the way into the mall.

She hummed lightly as Tobi grabbed her other hand, and Hidan trailed after, noticing curiously just how at ease both Tobi and Zetsu were with the hand-holding and her comfortable silence.

He also noticed she had put a daisy behind Tobi's ear, and Zetsu had sprig of mistletoe in his jacket pocket, held by his free white hand. She really did like those flowers and passing them out.

When they reached the toy store, Hidan handed the pinkette the bills he had procured. The Pinkette's green eyes grew wide and she smiled, hugging the albino much to his discomfort. After prying her off quickly she grabbed Tobi's hand and ran into the back room to get to that toy shipment.

Hidan looked to Zetsu. "When did you three get so chummy?"

Zetsu looked to Hidan. "**She plays with Tobi at night at the park whenever I'm not coming. That's all.**"

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Hidan blinked. "Huh. Did you know she's physic or something?"

"**Id believe it.** Oh, definitely. **No doubt at all…**"

It didn't take long for the pinkette, orange masked team to re-emerge with a particular Hyuuga girl who owned the toy store. All three carried a big red bag, sans Sladkiye, who carried 5 like it was nothing, all stuffed full of toys.

Hyuuga Heiresses and a 500-dollar-donation can get a lot of Santa-bags of toys.

"Wow." Hidan muttered.

The pinkette cheered.

Zetsu stepped forward and without a word took two of her bags. The pinkette whined that he shouldn't carry more than one of them, but he shook his head at her and she relented. She only let Hidan take one, saying the money was enough. She carried the other two in one hand, and took Zetsu's free hand when he did the same, humming as they all left.

Hidan had never done charity work before, and though he didn't feel super warm and fuzzy, more tired than anything, it did feel a little nice when the pinkette stormed into the building ahead of them calling out and the house heaved full of excited children.

Even the next door businesses came over, one of them having run the pinkette's muffin run for her, and the others talking with the owner and offering some donations.

It felt a little nice, he would have to admit.

…

…

…

Tobi and Zetsu parted ways to finish what they had been doing before, and Hinata and the pinkette split too, the Hyuuga girl staying to help out at Orphanage for a while, while the girl of many names stepped out with Hidan following the sunset.

"Ya got one more thing to do today, right?" Hidan asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Sakura hummed to herself. "You still wanna help? It's late, and stuff."

"Why the fuck not. Spent the whole damn day, what's a bit longer?" he chuckled. "What's to be done?"

"You can't help with this one, Hidan-kun, not really." She said hastily. "So would you do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure. What?"

"Tell everyone 'Merry Christmas', okay?"

"That's it?" he asked, looking at her. "That's fucking all?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Uh. Sure. I'll tell them all if I see them tomorrow."

"Thanks, Hidan-kun. Good night."

"yeah." he muttered, looking over her unreadable but relaxed appearance. "Good night."

They turned in different directions at the next turn, him changing course for his apartment with Kakuzu. The miser asked what had happened and Hidan gave a brief explanation while fishing out cash to pay the bean-counter back from the crevices of his bedroom.

…

…

…

That night Kisame was woken in the middle of the night to the slam of his door. when he went to check it out, gun in hand, head throbbing from waking up after being thoroughly drunk and not sure when he got home at all, he found a sand which bag, a red burlap sack, and a note all just inside his doorway.

The baggy had some aspirin, and the burlap bag- oh god, that's a jar of cherries. It was her.

He read the note despite the headache.

_You know, Mr. Fish, it'll be a terrible Christmas if you fall asleep and smell of alcohol on that favorite bench of yours. And since you left your door unlocked when you came out of the house buzzed, it was easy to get you back inside and into bed. You aren't as heavy as I expected. I put the bag of bottles on your counter for you, but you know it's dangerous to do stuff like that._

_Good thing 'Tachi-kun told me that it happens every year, so I was there to help you out, right? He looked happy he didn't have to stay there and watch you all night- did you know you're too heavy for him to lift? He looked amazed when I picked you up, Hehehe. _

"_You'll drink yourself to death" you know. Sleep tight, merry Christmas, I'll see you after New Year's! Sing me a song next time I see you, kay? Cause you know, I sang you one last time!_

_С Рождеством, Рыбка! _

_[Russian; "Merry Christmas, Little Fish" where in Russian, Little Fish is a term of affection]_

Kisame rubbed his forehead. So she brought him inside? And apparently just left- _and apparently_, Itachi watches out for him on Christmas-eve night? Kisame couldn't remember most Christmas-eve nights, though he knew they were all relatively the same.

Kisame leaned his head on the door, not sure if he was angry about the headache, shocked she was apparently stronger than Itachi, or… pah, who cares? Way too hung over to think about any of that.

"Спокойной ночи и С Рождеством, котёнок." [Russian; "Good Night and Merry Christmas, Kitten"] he muttered, unaware she was just on the other side, leaning on his wooden door, a smile stretching wide on her face.

At least, wasn't aware until she took off running down the hall and he heard her. He opened his door as quickly as the migraine allowed, just catching a wisp of pink hair as it disappeared around the hall turn.

He noticed something else, a red wrapped box with a long silk pink bow, and a tag with his name on it.

…

…

…

No one saw the pinkette all of Christmas day. Not nice, though a few hopeful and excited people who liked her a lot went out into the city in the bracing cold and the light rain in hopes to see her in the crowds.

She did not appear on Christmas, or a whole week after. Not for early morning walks with Zetsu, or night time play dates with Tobi or weird encounters in between.

But when they opened their doors, be it early that morning of later in the day, when they opened their doors there was a red box with pink ribbon bow.

Inside, terrible ugly Christmas sweaters and hand-made cards.

Signed 'Sladkiye Putanitsa.'


End file.
